Catalytic reactor



Nov. 1 1, 1952 E. B. MILLER CATALYTIC REAQTOR 2 Sl-IEETS-Sl-IEET 1Original Filed March 12, 1951 INVENTOR ATTORNEYS Nov. 11, 1952 E. B.MILLER 1 CATALYTIC REACTOR Origiryal Filed March 12,1951 2 SHEETS-SHEET2 INVENTOR, Ewvas'r B. M/u El? ATTORNEYS 01138.2; @Fig. 4 is PatentedNov. 11, 1952 CATALYTIC: REACTOR Ernest B. Miller, Houston, Tex.,assignor to J efferson Lake Sulphur Company, New Orleans, La., acorporation of NeWJJersey Original application March 12, 1951; SerialNo.

215,178. Divided antljj'this application March 12, 1951, Serial No.215,179 r a 5 Claims. (01. 23-288) This invention relates to apparatusfor treating fluids-fand has more particular reference to reactors forthecatalytic treatment of gases.

One object of the present inventionis to provide n improved reactor ofthe stationary type,

the catalyst contained therein.

in-which a plurality of foraminous containers adapted tohold a granularcatalyst material are mounted, and having inlet and outlet openings 'toef'mit the flow of fluids therethrough, whereby the; uids will com intointimatecontact with A -no'jther object of the present invention is toprovide a reactor, as characterized above, in which 'a' large surfacearea of relatively thin beds of cate'iIyst ofiering a minimum ofresistance to the I Another object of the invention is to provide areae'hr, as above characterized, in which baffle merhhfers are providedto insure an even flow of thefluids through the catalyst material,thereby 1 malgfing effective use of all of the treating matepparatus.

2 a V. lar construction and arrangement of the novel reactor and itsappurtenances, as disclosed in said parent application.

Referring now to the drawings, there is shown a reactor constructed inaccordance with the present invention and comprising a cylindricaltankIU having arearwardly and downwardly sloping .flat top wall H and arearwardly and upwardly sloping flat bottom wall [2. f

The top and bottom wall members f land" areelliptical' in outline andare secured, as'by bolting, to flange members I3 and M, respectively,which, in turn, are secured, as by bolting, to the upper and lowerperipheries of the cylindrical .1 flowI- of the fluids, is condensedinto a small cubic Ispac .f urther object of the invention "is to'proy;vid a reactor, as characterized above, in which .theqbraminouscontainers may readily be remo'v d and replaced.

considered in connection with the accompanying drawings, wherein: I l isa side elevational view of a reactor 'cohfsjtructed in accordance withthe present inven'tjion and showing the manner in which it is conriectedto the upperand lower headers;

Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view of the reactor Fig. 3 is asectional'vlew taken on the line 3-3 This application is a division ofmy co-pending tank I'll; A vertically spaced pair of disc-shaped platesI5, I6, are mounted-in the tank [0 with their peripheral edges securedto the wall of the tank, as by welding, to form a gas-tight joint.

The topwall member If, the upper disc member I5, and the portion of theside wall of the tank therebetween form an upper manifold H. An openingI8 is formed in the front wall of'the upper manifold and an upperflanged connecting I fitting or nipple i9 is secured thereon, as bywelding the inner edges of the rectangular box-like fitting to theedges-of the opening IB'. 'The bottom wall member l2, the lower discmember l6,

and the portion of the side wall of the tank therebetween form a lowermanifold 20. An opening 2| is formed in the front wall of the jlowermanifold and a lower flanged connecting fitting or nipple 22 is securedthereon, as by 'welding theinner edges of the rectangular boxlikefitting to the edges of the opening 2']. The

1 upper disc-shaped member liihas a pluralityjof circular openings 23formed therein, and thelgwer disc-shaped member I 6 has a correspondingnumber of circular openings 24 formed therein. The

. openings 23 and 24 in the two disc-shaped mem- $49 a sectional viewtaken on theline 4 -4 v vertical sectional view of a tubular container:and V application, Ser. No. 215,178, filed March 12, 1951,

fojr Method'of and Apparatus for the Recovery of Elemental Sulphur inLiqui Form from Gases-3,

Containing Hydrogen sulphide, and the Conver- Y sip'n of the LiquidSulphur into solidified Flakes." '-EI he aforesaid co-pending parentapplication involves a system for recovering, in flake form,

elemental sulphur from gases containing hydrosulphide.

towers. I

he'system includes a plurality of reactors for 7 ref ting the gas to betreated to formelemental sul hurl vapor which is condensed in scrubbingi0 The presentinvention is drawn to the particul bers are in verticalalignment, but the openings "in the bottom disc-shaped member are orless diameter than the openings in the upper disc- V shaped member;Atapered tubular baflie member or conduit 25, preferably made of sheetmetal, extend-s between each circular opening in the upper disc-shapedmember and the correspond ing aligned opening in the lower disc-shapedmember, with its upper end secured to the peripheral edge of the openingin the upper discshaped member and its bottom edge secured-to the lowerdisc-shaped member around the circular opening therein (see Fig. 2). h

Mounted within each ofthe c0nduits'25 is a tubular catalyst container26. The, catalyst containers 26 are'identical in construction andfasbest shown in Figs. 5 and 6, each comprises" two concentric tubularscreens 21, 28 held in spaced apart relation by a plurality oflongitudinal radial fins 29, with the annular space between the screensclosed at the bottom, as by a flanged 3 such as to retain a granularcatalyst material 31 in the annular space'between the screens.

Mounted within the inner wire screen 21 is an inverted substantiallyconically shaped .baiiie The baflle member is closed at its member 32.apex which extends downwardly to .a-po'mt near the bottom of thecontainer and "has its upper he diameter of the bases and :the taper ofthe side walls of the baffle members 525 and 32 .are such that the crosssectional area of the duct -=,-tori ned,between the two members :issubstantially bgua'l-atits top and ,bottom. The tapers .of the 7 side-walls of the :two bafile members are such that a substantially uniformvelocity :is obtained hothsides-of the barrier as .fiuid is transferred.fndm "the upstream side to the downstream side, regardless of thedirection of flow, thereby creatinga substantially constant static ,headover the face of the barrier, resulting-in a substantially uniform.distribution of the fluid through the entire barrier area, Thisconstruction insures asubstantiall y uniform flow of fluid through ,thecatalyst material in the annular members, whether the flow ofsfluid .isdownward or up- ,In-ponnection with the foregoing, it should be notedthat, due to the rearward and downward slopeof the top wallmember Ii,relative to the horizontal upper disc-shaped member I5, and the rearwardand upward slope of :the bottom-wall member .12, relative .to thehorizontal lower disc- ;shaped :member 15, theicross sectional areaofthe upper and lower manifolds progressively-decreases from theirentrance openings at their fronts to their rear, thus insuring .a.uniform {flow lofsgas through the annular spaces between the .hafilemembers 25 and -32, whether the flow of .fluidthroughthe reactors-be upor down. -.A-lso, .due to the top wall member .I l being 'detachablysecured to the tank, it may readily be .remoued i permit removal of thetubular catalyst ;con

Qtainers tor replacement or repair. It should ":be

.nqted that the tubular containers are memorably mounted :in the taperedconduit members 25. itle-upper and lower flanged nipples I9 and 22 areadapted to be connected to suitable control damper fittings mounted insuitable upper and lower headers for selectively permitting the flowoffluids through the reactor. As illustrated, the ai ippertand lowernipples are shown as connected to li per and lower .multi-damper seatboxe of the type shown in my aforesaid co-pendin'g application.

Qbviously, .the invention is not restricted to the particular embodimentthereof herein-shown and. described. Moreover, it is not indispensablethat all of the features of the invention beused 'nflnlointly since the,may be employed advantageouslyin various combinations :andsub-combinations. I What is claimed is: a l. A reactor of the classdescribed comprisinggincombinatlon, anmprighttank'haying top,

- bottom and side walls, said 'top wall sloping rearwardly anddownwardly and said bottom wall sloping rearwardly and upwardly; avertically spacer pair of transversely extending partitions "mou'ntedinsaid tank and forming with saidtop and hottom walls and the portion ofthe side walls therebetween upper and lower manifolds respectively; :aplurality of conduits extending between said spaced partitions andproviding communication between said upper and lower manifolds; and aforaminous container adapted to hold granular catalyst material mountedin :eaohof said conduits; and nipple fittings connected to said upperand lower manifolds to permit the flow .of fluids through :said tank.

.2. .A reactor, ,as set forth in claim 1, wherein the top wallofsaidtank is removable and wherein the containers are .removably mounted .intheir respective-conduits, whereby they are readily :re-

moved and replaced.

3.. A reactor, as set forth :in :claim 2]., wherein said foraminouscontainers are cylindrical and have an annular cross-section.

4. A-reactor of the ;class described comprisin an upright tank havingtop, .bottom and side walls; a vertically spaced pair of transverselyextending partitions mounted in :said tank and forming .a gas-tightjoint with the walls thereof, the upper of said partitions being spacedfrom vthe top wall of said tank and forming withgsaid top :wall :and theportion the side walls therebetween an upper manifold, the lower of saidpa-rtitions being spacedfrom the bottom wall'of said tank and forming'With'said bottom wall and theportion of the side walls therebetweenaalower manifold, said upper and lower manifolds having openings thereinto provide inlet and outlet openings for the vflow :of :fluids throughsaid tank; a plurality :of open-ended inverted, frusto-conically shapedbaffle members mounted in said tank and extending between the upper andlower transverse partitions -and. -providing fluid passages between theupper and lower manifolds; an elongated annular forami-nous catalystcontainer -:-mounted in each bafile member, said container being closed(at its top and :haVingzits.

hollow interior at its bottom end opening into the bottom of =-thebafiie member; an inverted :conically-sliaped baiile mounted -i nthehollow interior of the container with the-base Of the conicallwshapedbaflle secured :to the container adjacent its top end and with the apexextending to a point adjacent its bottom end,- the construction beingsuch that the annular space between the battle members forms anelongated inverted frusto-conically-shaped conduit annular in crosssection with the container forming a barrier extending longitudinallyacross the conduit from the top to the bottom, and with the taper of theside walls of the conduit being such that the cross sectional area'ofthe conduit on each side-of the barrier varies so as to maintain asubstantially constant velocit-y'of the -fiuid .on either-side of thebarrier throughout its ex- .tent regardless of the direction of flow offluid in the conduit, resulting in uni-form iiow through the entirebarrier area. '5. A reactor, as set forth in claim 4 wherein then-ppmwall of the-tank slopes Tearwardly and downwardly and the bottom wall ofthe tank slopes .rearwardly and upwardly. 1

ERNEST B. MILLER.

No references cited.

1. A REACTOR OF THE CLASS DESCRIBED COMPRISING, IN COMBINATION, AN UPRIGHT TANK HAVING TOP, BOTTOM AND SIDE WALLS, SAID TOP WALL SLOPING REARWARDLY AND DOWNWARDLY AND SAID BOTTOM WALL SLOPING REARWARDLY AND UPWARDLY; A VERTICALLY SPACER PAIR OF TRANSVERSELY EXTENDING PARTITIONS MOUNTED IN SAID TANK AND FORMING WITH SAID TOP AND BOTTOM WALLS AND THE PORTION OF THE SIDE WALLS THEREBETWEEN UPPER AND LOWER MANIFOLDS RESPECTIVELY; A PLURALITY OF CONDUITS EXTENDING BETWEEN SAID SPACED PARTITIONS AND PROVIDING COMMUNICATION BETWEEN SAID UPPER AND LOWER MANIFOLDS; AND A FORAMINOUS CONTAINER ADAPTED TO HOLD GRANULAR CATALYST MATERIAL MOUNTED IN EACH OF SAID CONDUITS; AND NIPPLE FITTINGS CONNECTED TO SAID UPPER AND LOWER MANIFOLDS TO PERMIT THE FLOW OF FLUIDS THROUGH SAID TANK. 